Throughout the album, the photos showed the years of their Vineyard vacations, those treasured, annual weeks. Her dad began to save for the next year as soon as they got home; instead of a Christmas Club at the local bank, they had a Vacation Club.

There weren’t as many photos of Annie once she’d gone to college, except . . . She turned the page and saw what she knew was glued on there: a photo that her dad had snapped of Annie and Murphy, laughing over something that no doubt was ridiculous. Their hairdos—Annie’s ebony, Murphy’s carrot-red—were very big and held together by tons of spray; their sweaters had shoulder pads that made them look like linemen on the football team. They’d met the first day of college in the hallway of their dorm and wound up being best friends for more than three decades.

“That’s us,” she said, hoping Murphy would hear.

Then Annie drew in a small breath and turned another page to the pictures of her wedding to Brian. Young, sweet love, so tender, so innocent. The boy who’d loved her when she’d been young.

Which made her think of Jonas, and how life seemed to give everyone some sorrow. In some way. At some time. Still, she wondered if there might be a way that she could help Taylor’s boy.

But right then, her thoughts were blurred by reminiscing. So Annie closed the album and returned it to the shelf.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Thursday morning, Annie woke up late, not wanting the memories she’d evoked last night to disappear again, to be folded back into the faded pages of the old photo album. It was after ten before she shook off her hangover of memories, pulled herself together, and pretended she might get some work done.

She was on her third cup of coffee when a quick knock on the door saved her from her self-pitying self.

“Well,” Kevin said, “you look like hell today.”

Annie laughed. “Thanks for the confidence boost, brother. I’m glad you’re here. Sit. We have to talk.”

“Coffee? ”

“Help yourself. Then sit. Please.”

He did as he was told. He was a terrific brother. Half-brother, she remembered.

She sighed. “I did my best, but she’s still coming.”

“Crap.”

“Sorry. She wants to talk to us about the trust fund she set up. She said she needs to go over it with us.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“Apparently not. Something about her attorney leaving the country for a while.”

“Did you tell her what’s going on here?”

“Not about the skull. I thought we should wait until we knew what was going to happen. But I mentioned that a few of your crew have left, so you and Earl are really busy. I told her nerves are frayed. But I’m not sure she listened.”